Electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a slot for receiving pins therein each having a U-shaped section. A pin retainer includes blocks integrated together and received in the slot. Each block has an insert portion fit into the U-shaped section of each pin thereby securing the pin in the slot. Two board locks, each having a channel-like portion receiving an expanded end of a fastener therein with an elongate fastener body extending through holes defined in the housing, secure the connector to a circuit board. The channel-like portion of the board lock has a first side defined by two spaced fingers which receive and retain the fastener body therebetween and an opposite second side from which a support section extends. A circuit board engaging section extends from the support section and is received in a slot defined on the circuit board with the support section directly positioned on the circuit board. The second side of the channel-like portion is dimensioned to have the support section substantially located at a central position with respect to the connector whereby a portion of the connector is located below the circuit board when the connector is supported on the circuit board by the support section.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing having at least one slot defined therein for loosely receiving a plurality of conductive pins, the pins being spaced from each other; and   a pin retainer which is received in the slot for securing the pins in the slot, the pin retainer defines a plurality of grooves along a face thereof and wherein the slot of the housing comprises a plurality of ribs formed on an inner face thereof to be respectively received in and engaged by the grooves of the pin retainer;   wherein each of the pins comprises a U-shaped section and wherein the pin retainer comprises a front portion associated with and fitted into the U-shaped section of each pin for retaining the pins in position inside the slot, the pin retainer carrying the pins so that as the pin retainer is inserted into the slot the pins are simultaneously inserted into the slot.